Dioxygen activation by a low-valent cobalt complex employing a flexible tripodal N-heterocyclic carbene ligand

The low-valent and coordinatively unsaturated cobalt(I) triscarbene complex[(TIMEN(super xyl))]CO]CI is synthesized and characterized. The results suggest that nucleophilic character of the Eta(super 2)-bound dioxygen ligand is confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) studies and allows for oxygen-transfer reactions with electron-deficient organic substrates, such as benzoyl chloride.